I suppose you could say I had fallen in to a routine. Cleaning, working, training, and maybe I might have a few hours to my self to read a book. To have some classic me time. I didn't mind the routine. It was predictable, easy, safe. Keeping myself constantly busy helped me keep my personal thoughts quite. My unsafe, unpredictable thoughts.
Every thing was quite after the war.
The village and the people that occupied it where abnormally quite. I think that Naruto's death had affected everyone in one way or another.
That or everyone was scared of saying the wrong thing, so they just didn't say anything at all. It felt as if everyone made extra sure to tiptoe around me. Not wanting to upset me; I appreciated the sentiment but I felt it wrong not to talk about him. Naruto had done so much for the village and not one of them dare speak his name.
I hated being treated like a child. I was kept away from anything remotely dangerous. I haven't been on a mission for at least 5 months. Lady Tusnade made sure that there was an alternative for me. If they needed a medic ninja, she would send a lesser ninja. And once, to save me the trouble, she went her self. But then I suppose any other medic ninja is lesser than me. I don't mean to sound stuck up or snobby, I hate to admit it, but I am the best medic ninja with in a 90 mile radius. That is of course for Lady Tusnade.
This is why I was in charge of every thing medical during the war. The fate of everyone's lives depended on me. It was challenging, and I'd admit scary. But I just had to remind myself of the situation. 'For Konoha!' I would yell in my head. I wouldn't be able to call my self anything but a coward if I hadn't accepted my role in the war. Everyone was already doing so much and this was my chance to help.
Lady Tusnade would constantly tell me it wasn't my fault. There was nothing I could do. Naruto was long gone before I had got to him. But I do blame myself. Who wouldn't? Being the best medic Nin around, as well as being Naruto's best friend, I should have been able to save him. It was a debt I owed him as a friend. I did try everything. I even attempted to perform a forbidden jutus, and I would have done it if Sasuke hadn't stopped me. I was basically going to trade my life to save Naruto's.
Sasuke stopped me. He told me it wasn't worth it. "Naruto died saving his village and so he would have died happy. Isn't that enough?" Sasuke's words rang in my ears for weeks after that. No. was my answer. It wasn't enough. It's selfish of me to think but I couldn't help it. I knew it wasn't Naruto's time. He still had so much ahead of him.
It was a normal day. Tuesday. I was on my way to drop of some papers to the hospital and I passed a few old friends.
"Hey, Tenten!" I called out to a young women who was perched on top of a newly built roof. She was placing the few last tiles down by the looks of it.
She looked down at me and smiled.
"Hey Sakura! Didn't see you there! How's it looking?" She asked standing up and extending her arms to indicate the building beneath her feet.
"It looks great! It's gone up so fast! The whole village has gone up fast." The village was under construction. The war took it's tow on more than just the people in the village. Every one had pitched in to help rebuild it.
Tenten took a moments thought.
"Yeah I guess your right. But that's not a bad thing." There was a moments silence before-
"SAKURA-CHAN!"
Lee. Ugh. I didn't know he was here. I suddenly felt the need to run as fast as I can but my polite smile kept me grounded to the spot.
Lee came out through the front door and confronted me.
"Hey Sakura-Chan. Long time no see!" Lee spoke optimistically. He always did.
I awkwardly shifted my weight, there was a reason we hadn't seen each other in a while. Mainly because I avoided him, but that was only because he would always bring Naruto up. I wouldn't have minded, but Lee always spoke of him in away that reminded me he was gone, forever. And there was nothing I could do about it. I don't think he realised I secretly wanted to punch him in the face every time he spoke of Naruto. I guess it's best if it stayed that way.
"Sakura-Chan, im always here you know. For anything. I'll always be here." This didn't sound like Lee, it was too serious and almost sad. He pitied me. I stared blankly at him. I was taken back by his statement. I didn't know what to do, so I just acted on impulse.
I stepped forward and hugged him lightly. I whispered a small 'thank you' in his ear and walk away.
I had thought about what Lee said all the way to the hospital. Well, to what I thought was the hospital. Where I was so deep in thought, my feet automatically took me to his grave. When I realised where I was I was a bit surprised. But not completely. It's not like this was the first time it happened. I looked down on his head stone. Solid black marble. It simply read in gold "He died so we could live". It didn't need to be named. Everyone knew who was buried here. And so will anyone who comes past it. Everyone would have heard of the story by now I should have imagined.
I had kept his headband. At that moment had a small flash back.
It was the last time I had seen Naruto alive. I was busy healing one of Sasuke's more serious wounds when a creature of the enemy had attacked us. Sasuke had enough time to push me out of the way to avoid injury. But he's attempts where useless. The creature's target was the closest, strongest power source. And that was me. It would have been Sasuke but he was wounded badly. Drained of power. He posed no threat to the creature.
I remember getting ready to fight and the thing lunging forward towards me. Then, Naruto was there. He went head first into the hard shelled demon.
This was the last I saw of Naruto. He had tackled the demon away from me so I could get to Sasuke and that was it. He was gone. His last words to me were "You can save him Sakura. I know you can. I trust you." He was right, I did save Sasuke. But at the cost of his life.
"Sakura? What are you doing here?" I heard a familiar voice from behind me.
I didn't turn. I just carried on looking at what remained of my best friend.
"I don't know." I answered truthfully. I really didn't know.
Kakashi stood by my side silently. I could also tell he was having a flash back to his last memories of Naruto. He probably shared my guilt. Why wasn't I there? I should have protected him!
"I know nothing is going to be the same again, but don't you just wish every thing could go back to normal?" I thought aloud.
"With every fibre of my existence." Was his reply.
A small breeze brushed my hair from my face and I caught a grimace flash on Kakashi's face but it was gone in a matter of a second.
"I miss him." I admitted shortly. He knew who I meant.
"Me too."
_
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